Steven Jackson Injury: 5 Fantasy Football Pickups for St. Louis Rams RB

When a player like Steven Jackson goes down with an early season injury, the missed time can be devastating to a fantasy roster.

Jackson owners had to spend a late second- or early third-round pick on him and will now scour the waiver wire to replace the St. Louis Rams running back.

Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo didn't have a timetable on Jackson's return from a quad injury, but when a coach tells Peter King “that's not good” about an ailment, well, that's not good. Any leg injury will obviously need to fully recover for a running back to return to the lineup.

Without further ado, here are five fantasy football pickups to consider while Jackson is on the shelf. None of these guys will have the impact Jackson would have had, but each can be a nice insurance policy to add to your roster.

All players listed are available in at least 90 percent of ESPN leagues.

Cadillac Williams, St. Louis Rams

The most obvious replacement for Jackson would be Cadillac Williams, his backup with the Rams. Williams carried the ball 19 times for 91 yards and also caught six passes with Jackson sidelined. Williams will continue to carry the load if Jackson misses an extended period of time.

The fact that Rams only gave Jerious Norwood and Brit Miller four carries combined means they have faith that Williams can be a full-time back. That's always good news, although Miller might steal some goal line carries eventually.

Available in 92.5 percent of leagues

Delone Carter, Indianapolis Colts

Delone Carter had almost an even timeshare with starter Joseph Addai in Week 1 for the Indianapolis Colts. With it becoming crystal clear to the Colts that they will need to be a run-first team under Kerry Collins, Carter will have some value moving forward.

If Addai were to miss time with injury—which he has in each of the past four seasons—Carter's value would skyrocket. Now is the time to pick him up and stash him on your bench; it should pay off in the long run.

Available in 90.1 percent of leagues

Deji Karim, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars held the ball for nearly two-thirds of their game against the Tennessee Titans, and that time of ball control will be paramount if they plan on winning on a consistent basis this season.

Their beneficiary of those long drives was Deji Karim, who got a lot of carries behind Maurice Jones-Drew.

Karim gained 33 yards on 14 carries, which is an unimpressive 2.4 yards per carry, but just the fact that he got the call that many times is worthy noting in fantasy leagues. He also caught the ball three times.

Any running back getting 17 touches should be owned.

Available in 91.7 percent of leagues

Dexter McCluster, Kansas City Chiefs

Dexter McCluster received just nine touches in Kansas City's debacle against Buffalo, but led the team with 67 yards. He also returned four kickoffs for 92 yards and has dual position eligibility at running back and wide receiver.

His move to running back was thought to kill his fantasy value heading into the season, but it's clear head coach Todd Haley understands McCluster's big-play ability and will look to get him double-digit touches moving forward.

Available in 95.6 percent of leagues

Justin Forsett, Seattle Seahawks

Marshawn Lynch once again proved he isn't a starting-caliber running back in the NFL. Aside from his highlight-reel run in the playoffs last season, he has been a high-volume, low-output running back. That should open the door for Justin Forsett in the coming weeks.

Forsett struggled in Week 1, as he wasn't able to find a rhythm with just six touches. That said, he averaged nearly 5 yards per carry in his first two seasons in the league, and Lynch has averaged below 4 yards per carry during his career, which just isn't good enough to warrant a full-time gig.

Available in 97.1 percent of leagues